Foldable go-cart.



M. B. LLOYD.

FOLDABLE GO-GAR'I'.

APPLICATION FILED APRJB, 1912.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WW M WWW M. B. LLOYD.

FOLDABLB GO-GART.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. gs, 1912..

1,12 4% 55. Patented Jan.5,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., Fnofa-urna. WASHINGTON, 11 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHALL BURNS LLOYD, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE LLOYDMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OFMICHIGAN.

FOLDABLE GO-CART.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARSHALL B. LLOYD, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Menominee, county ofMenominee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Foldable Go-Carts, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in go-carts of the kind which aremade up of pivotally connected members that are adapted to be collapsedor folded into a compact parcel without disconnecting or removmg anysuch parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a foldable or collapsiblego-cart which shall be characterized by a main frame and a handle orpusher which are pivotally connected and by the single closing movementof which the several parts of the go-cart may be collapsed or folded.

A further object of my invention is to provide a go-cart of the classmentioned which shall be composed of a minimum number of parts, all soformed as to permit them to be made and assembled at a low cost.

A still further obj ect of the invention is to provide a go-cart whichshall be of minimum weight and yet strong enough to withstand the roughusage and shocks to which go-carts are subjected.

My invention consists generally in a gocart of the construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

My invention particularly resides in special features of simplificationwhereby the main frame, seat and foot well are economically formed andsupported upon the wheels, whereby a long wheel base is secured atminimum cost, whereby a two position seat back is secured withoutaddition to the number of parts necessary to form the remainder of thecart and whereby a simple and easily operated canopy is provided inconjunction with the body of the cart and said seat back.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which;

Figure 1v is a perspective view of a gocart embodying my invention, theflexible portions thereof being indicated by means of dotted outlines;Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the go-cart. The dottedlines showing the frame work in partly collapsible or folded condition;Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing the hood or canopy in partlyfolded condition; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cart in completelyfolded or collapsed condition; and Fig. 5 illustrates a modification ofthe actuating links of the hood.

My invention is capable of embodiment in carts for different uses, suchas doll-carts and childrens go-carts, and I have chosen to show it inthe form of a simple toy or doll go-cart.

It should be understood that my invention is here shown in its simplestform. Various styles thereof may be made, the making of each styleinvolving slight me chanical modifications which will readily suggestthemselves to one who is skilled in the art.

A rectangular elongated main frame 2 contains or is occupied by a seat37 and a foot well 38. A handle or pusher 6 is pivoted on the rear endof the frame and is adapted to be folded forward onto the main frame.Side arms 14 have their rear ends pivoted to the handle or pusher. Theirforward ends are supported by side bars 12 preferably parallel with thehandle or pusher and pivotally joining the forward ends of the arms 14:to the intermediate part of the main frame. Toggle lever locks 17 may beused for securing the main frame and handle or pusher in distendedcondition. Downward extensions 12 of the side bars 12 are attached to afront axle 15. Downward extension 7 of the handle or pusher are attachedto the rear axle 9. The front and rear axles are equipped with wheels 16and 10 respectively. As shown, the downward extensions of the side bars12 and those of the handle or pusher support the main frame 2 upon thewheels and in horizontal position when the cart is distended or opened.I secure a long wheel base for the cart by forming the downwardextensions 12 and 7 upon diverging lines, whereby the spread between theaxles is increased over the spread between the pivotal points of 55outer ends 11 of the rear cross bar 5.

' dle portions by the rivets 13.

the side bars and the handle on the main frame. To secure this result Iprefer to bend the lower ends 12 of the side bars forward and increasetheir length with respect to the extension 7 whereby the front end ofthe main frame is supported at the same distance from the ground as therear end thereof and whereby the front wheels are positioned beneath thefoot well with their front sides substantially in the vertical planewhich includes the front cross bar or end of the main frame. The hoodand seat back of this go-cart are united virtually 1n one structure. Theconstruction and operationof the hood will be explained 1n detailhereinafter and at this point it is su'liicient to call attention to thefact that the rear how 22 of the hood is equipped with a cross bar 34which forms the top of the seat back In some of my carts I omit thisfeature and equip the cart with an independently movable seat back whichis pivoted on the rear end of the seat 37. The seat back shown is formedof flexible fabric, the lower end of the fabric being attached to therear end of the seat 37, and the upper end being attached to the bar 34.IVhen the hood is in raised position the back is likewise raised, asshown in Fig. 2, and when the hood is lowered the back is dropped aspartly indicated in Fig. 0, allowing the occupant of the cart to reclinetherein.

Referring now to the details of construction:In the cart shown the mainor body frame comprises parallel side members 3-3,

a front cross bar 4 formed integrally with the side bars and a rearcross bar or rod 5 which is secured to and spaces the rear ends of theside bars apart. The side bars and the front bar are formed from a flatbar or strap preferably arranged on edge, for strength and forconveniently forming connections with the other parts of the structure.The foldable handle member 6 consists of a rectangular frame having sidemembers 7-7 and atop connecting member 8 which serves as a handle, thesethree parts being formed from a single thin bar of metal. The lower endsof the parts 7 are 0 joined by a lower cross bar 9 upon the outer allelwith the handles or pushers 6. I piv-- otally connect the upper ends ofthe side bars 12 tothe handle frame by means of horizontal link bars 14whereby the side bars 12 are swung or moved upon their pivots andmaintained substantially parallel with the handle member 6 in all itspositions. I incline or bend forward the lower ends 12 of the side bars12 out of parallel with the bars 77 and rigidly connect their lower endsby means of a cross bar 15 upon the outer extended ends of which theforward pair of wheels 16 are mounted. I incline the lower ends of theside bars 12 at a greater angle to the main frame than the relation ofthe handle frame bears to the main frame with the purpose of spreadingthe wheels far apart and thereby alfording a long wheel base when thecart is opened; that is, when it is in condition for use. Thisconstruction also secured the result of causing the front and rear pairsof wheels to approach close together when the cart is folded, as clearlyillustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. To maintain the handle and main frame indistended or open condition, I preferably employ a toggle link 17 oneach side of the cart, arranged between the side bars of the main frameand the handle frame and pivotally connected thereto. Each of theselinks is formed of two members 18 and 19 hinged together by means of apivot and stop 20; a construction which permits the toggle to passcenters with the pivots on the parts 8 and 7 and thus become a lock, tohold the several parts of the cart in extended position.

The canopy structure comprises three U- shaped frames 21, 22 and 23which are pivotally mounted at their lower ends to the body structureand are adapted to collapse upon the body structure. The frame 21preferably forms a pivotal extension of the side bars 12, its lower endsbeing connected to the bars 14 by the same pivots 24. The rear frame 22is preferably positioned substantially between the side members of thehandle frame 6 and is preferably pivoted at its lower ends to the handlemember by the pivots 25 which connect the rear ends of the horizontalbars 14 with thehandle frame. The upper ends of the frames 21 and 22 arepivotally connected together by means of horizontal link bars 26 whichare pivotally connected at their rear ends directly to the side bars ofthe rear canopy frame 22 and at their forward ends are pivotallyconnected to the rear ends of lug members 27 which extend rearwardlyfrom and are secured one on each side of the forward frame 21. Thisstructure, as clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 permits the rearwardfolding down of the hood frames into substantial parallel relation withthe horizontalbars 14 without interference between the upper cross bar28 of the frame 21 and the side links 26. These side links 26 extendforward beyond their pivotal connections with the frame 21 a shortdistance and are pivotallyconnected andthe links 29, which connect thesebars with the frame 23, act in conjunction with the positive connectionof the lower ends of the frame 23 to the frame 21, as hinged togglelevers which in the act of raising the canopy are straightened out andpositively force the frame 23 to its extended position and likewisepositively retract it. The canopy is maintained rigidly in its extendedposition by means of locking levers 39 similar to the main lockinglevers 17 and which are pivotally connected at their upper ends upon thepivots 30 and at their lower ends to the horizontal bars 14: by means ofpivots 32. The canopy is provided with a flexible covering 33 which isconnected positively to the forward frame 23 and to the rear frame 22and when the canopy is raised and the forward frame is positively forcedto its extended position the canopy is straightened to a taut condition.As shown in Fig. 5 the employment of the pivot lugs 27 on the bow 21 maybe avoided by bending the ends 26 of the long links downward to providethe throw which is necessary to retract the links 29 and the bow 23.

To provide a seat and seat back of light weight and durableconstruction, I may employ the horizontal cross bar 3 1 rigidly securedto the sides of the rear frame 22 of the canopy near the upper end ofthe frame and secure to this bar the upper end of a flexible back member35. This flexible member which extends from side to side of the cart isalso connected to the cross bar 5 at the rear end of the main frame andthereby forms a suitable back. To form a seat I provide a cross bar 36on the main frame 2 preferably securing it by means of the rivets 13which pivotally mount the side bars 12 and I extend the cloth web, whichforms the back, forward and support it upon this intermediate cross bar36 securing itn'n such taut condition between the bars 5 and 36 that theportion therebetween forms a flexible seat member 37. This memberextends from side to side of the cart and to form a foot well 38 Iextend the cloth web forward fastening its forward end to the frontcross bar 4. This last portion of the flexible member is made longenough to hang from the main frame and seat, inthe form of a pocket asindicated in'Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In a foldable go-cart a rectangular main frame and a handle or pusherpivotally mounted at the rear end thereof and foldable forwardlythereupon, in combination with means for locking the frame and pusher inopen position, arm members pivotally joining said frame and handle, abowed hood mounted on said arm members, and a flexible seat back mountedupon and between'said main frame and the rear bow of said hood. 7,

2. In a folding go-cart the-combination with a foldable body structureand a collapsible canopy structure mounted thereon, of a flexibleseat-back connected at its upper and lower ends to the canopy and bodystructures respectively and adapted to be raised to upright position bythe extending of the body structure and the raising of the canopy,substantially as described.

3. In a folding go-cart a main frame having a plurality of cross bars incombination with a handle frame, a hood bow, and a flexible seat andback comprising a continuous strip of flexible material connected at oneend to the forward end of the main frame and at its rear end to saidhood bow.

4. In a folding go-cart, a main frame, in combination with arm barscollapsible upon said main frame, two hood bows pivoted upon the forwardand rear ends of said arms, a third bow pivoted at or upon the forwardbow, a covering upon said bows, pivots upon said third, forward and rearbows, a long link substantially parallel with said arm and held by thepivots on the forward and rear bows, said link; extending forward beyondits pivot on said forward bow, a short link connecting the forward endof said long link to the pivot on said third bow and a pivot connectingsaid short and long links at a point outside the line of the said pivotson the bows, substantially as described. 7

5. In a'folding hood or canopy for gocarts, the go-cart arms, incombination with two hood bows pivoted upon the forward and rear ends ofsaid arms, a third bow pivoted at or upon the forward how, a coveringupon said bows, pivots upon said third, forward and rear bows, a longlink substantially parallel with said arm and held by the pivots on theforward and rear bows, said link extending forward beyond its pivot onsaid forward bow, a short link connecting the forward end of said longlink to the pivot on said third how, a pivot connecting said short andlong links at a point below the pivot on said third bow, substantiallyas described.

6. In a folding go-cart' a normally horizontal main frame in combinationwith a terial secured at one end to the upper part of the handle orpusher and at the other end to the forward end of the main frame andserving to provide a foot-well in the formew? ward part of; the mainframe, a seat in the rear portion of the main frame and a back in thehandle member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 15 set my hand, this 6th day ofApril, 1912, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARSHALL BURNS LLOYD. Vitnesses:

IIILDA C. PETERSON, C. O. PORTERFIELD.

Copies of this patent has, be obtained for live cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner o1! lifaae lc s.

weshingtonfllc.

